I Really Don’t Want a Girlfriend Anymore

"Have you ever gotten wet in the rain at six in the evening? I have."

"What nonsense? Go shower!"

Just like last time, Yuu was sent to shower, then prepared dinner and chatted with Sora about adopting a cat while eating.

"A friend of mine found a cat. Lately, work's been going smoothly, so I have some extra money to spare."

"And?"

"And—so let me ask, do you want to be its slave?"

"?" Biting her chopsticks, Sora looked at him, full of question marks. "Not its master?"

"Hah, as if cats have masters?" Yuu snorted, as if mocking his past self. "Cats are the bosses; humans are their slaves. You work yourself to death for a tiny bit of affection, and even if they bite or scratch you, you don't dare hit back."

"Then why do people still keep cats?"

"Because petting them feels so good!"

"…Masochist." Sora sighed, saying nonchalantly, "If you want to keep it, go ahead. I don't mind. But I can't guarantee I'll take good care of it."

Yuu, after all, had to go to work, and after summer break, he'd be back at school. Most of the cat-care duties would fall on Sora.

Sora figured she was often bored alone at home. Having a cat to play with, even if it was a bit tiring or troublesome, might not be a big deal.

If one day the cat turned into a cute girl, she could even make it help with chores—nah, with an older brother at home, better not transform.

"Then it's decided!" Yuu made the call instantly. While eating, he messaged Haruno.

She was probably still driving, as she sent a voice message. Yuu wasn't dumb enough to play it in front of Sora—he converted it to text.

Due to the voice-to-text conversion, there were a few typos in the paragraph, but it was understandable enough.

What a hassle.

"Alright." Yuu pocketed his phone, looking up at Sora. "Our house will have a new family member soon. You better take good care of it."

"I'll try." Sora replied carelessly.

Yuu didn't mind. Knowing Sora's personality, once she bonded with "Yukinon," she'd probably carry the cat around daily instead of her bunny plushie.

The sound of drizzle pattered outside the window, the food on their plates slowly disappearing.

Used to his expert-level cooking, Sora no longer stuffed herself to bursting like before. She sat leisurely at the dining table, sipping barley tea, savoring the feeling of being full.

Yuu came out of the kitchen after clearing the table.

"Don't forget to wash the dishes."

"Later, definitely."

Classic procrastinator talk.

Yuu rubbed his head and quickly left the living room before she could throw her bunny at him.

"Yuu, wait a sec."

"What?" Yuu turned, hoping Sora's grudge wasn't big enough to stop him just to pelt him, right?

Sora hopped off her chair, set her black bunny plush aside, walked up to him, and stared expressionlessly.

"Squat down."

"Doggie game?"

"No! And what's that you're looking at? Hand over your browser history!"

"Copying others deducts points…" Yuu squatted as requested, looking up at her. "Done. Now what?"

Sora didn't speak. Instead, she bent down, spread her arms, and hugged him gently.

Yuu's eyes widened in surprise, his head resting against her firm yet slightly soft chest, feeling the coolness of her arms and the warmth of her heartbeat.

"…Did something bad happen today?"

Sora asked softly. Yuu slowly hid his shocked expression, giving a wry smile:

"You think I got wet in the rain to vent? Sorry for worrying you, but really, nothing—"

"I don't care about the reasons or causes. I only care about how Yuu feels." Holding his head, Sora said calmly but seriously, "If you don't need someone to listen to your problems, then I'll hug you here until you feel happy."

"…" Silent, eyes slightly closed, the corners of Yuu's lips curved gently.

The quiet rainy night tapped against the window, but inside, it felt warm like early spring.

About ten seconds passed. Yuu patted her slender, warm back, signaling for her to let go.

"I'm not really that upset, just… my feelings are a bit mixed. But thanks, Sora."

"We're family. You handle things outside, I handle things inside. Doing this is only natural." Sora spoke as if stating an obvious truth, with a hint of pride in her propriety.

"So, any troubles at work you can't tell me about?"

"Just a small love problem with the boss." Yuu answered honestly.

"Oh, I see…" Sora nodded, not pressing further.

In her mind, the "boss" was a middle-aged man with a big belly, not some domineering female director.

As for love problems…

Yuu liked teasing her with phrases like that, so Sora was used to it.

"Well, keep up the good work." Sora picked up her bunny plush, heading upstairs.

"If you need comfort, don't be shy—just tell me. After all, I'm the only one you can rely on."

Yuu watched her back, then smiled: "Next time, still with those flat boobs?"

"What… did you say?" Sora turned, cheeks slightly red, her expression murderous.

"I said, don't forget to wash the dishes."

"Oh, then it's fine." Sora quickened her pace upstairs, shutting her door with a click of the lock.

Yuu chuckled, shaking his head, then stood, went to the kitchen to wash the dishes, and returned to his room.

"System."

The panel lit up.

Sitting at his computer desk, waiting for it to boot, he reviewed today's gains.

From morning to night, from innocent boy to not-so-innocent, Yuu received plenty of rewards from Yukinoshita Haruno.

First was money, totaling over 30,000 yen—right at the moment of their kiss during the event, Haruno sent him 200,000 yen.

The second was… nothing at all. He had no idea how the system decided that.

Then came some physical enhancements. These small, accumulated rewards Yuu decided to ignore for now, only marveling if he ever became a superman.

Next were statuses. Besides Fast Digestion, which, like Sharp Eyes, could be actively or passively activated to boost his stomach's function, he also got two single-use statuses.

No Awkwardness and Waterproof.